State targets county’s wealthiest families to exempt them from STAR

NORWICH – Chenango County’s assessors were given extra work last month to abide by a new state law that revoked the School Tax Relief (STAR) property tax break for families that make more than $500,000.

The New York Department of Taxation and Finance cross referenced assessment roll information and its own income tax return records to verify those families that were over the income limit and not eligible for the exemption any longer, and also those that they were unable to determine. The county’s assessors were then obliged to send out notifications to both groups.